Highly responsive hypnotic subjects, who were classified as having control over remembering (voluntaries) or not having control over remembering (involuntaries) during posthypnotic amnesia, were compared with each other on four physiological measures (heart rate, electrodermal response, respiration rate, muscle tension) during posthypnotic recall. Two contextual conditions were employed: One was meant to create pressure to breach posthypnotic amnesia (lie detector instructions); the other, a relax condition, served as a control.

International Journal of Psychophysiology: Official Journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology

Psychophysiological and behavioural evidence is reported of altered cerebral asymmetry under hypnosis in favour of the right hemisphere. This occurred in Susceptible as distinct from Unsusceptible subjects. Measures included bilateral electrodermal responses to tones and bimanual processing times for sorting letters and numbers with eyes closed. Subjects listened to a tape recording of a procedure for inducing relaxation under hypnosis. Susceptible subjects, unlike Unsusceptibles, showed lateral asymmetries in baseline conditions in favour of the left hemisphere.

Psychophysiological evidence is presented of altered cerebral organisation under hypnosis. Bilateral electrodermal activity was examined to tones presented simultaneously with the induction of hypnosis. Susceptibility was monitored throughout. Two control conditions were devised, one for division of attention and another for relaxation. In addition there was a familiarisation session which permitted groups to be equated for rates of habituation.

Subjects were Royal New Zealand Air Force pilots and this investigator (N = 8). Skin conductance response (SCR) was measured during a localizer approach for both inflight and simulator phases of the study. SCR's were noted following all ground controller altitude and heading change instructions and for all pilot-initiated heading and altitude changes employed to comply with the localizer approach plate. Inflight SCR's following ground controller instructions were substantially greater than those related to pilot initiated responses to cockpit information.

The cardinal feature of multiple personality disorder (MPD) is the existence of two or more alter personality states that exchange control over the behaviour of an individual. Numerous clinical reports suggest that these alter personality states exhibit distinct physiological differences. We investigated differential autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity across nine subjects with MPD and five controls, who produced "alter" personality states by simulation and by hypnosis or deep relaxation.

Do the verbal reports of deeply hypnotized Ss truthfully reflect their subjective experiences of hypnotic suggestions? Experiment 1 established that the electrodermal skin conductance response (SCR) provides an effective method for detecting deception in the laboratory equally well in hypnotized and nonhypnotized Ss. In Experiment 2, deeply hypnotized and simulating Ss were administered a number of hypnotic suggestions in a typical hypnotic session, without mention of deception, and were questioned about their experiences while SCR measures were recorded concurrently.